Iowa Medicaid Manager Loses Defamation Suit Against John Oliver
An Iowa healthcare official who sued HBO host John Oliver for defamation has lost his case in federal court, a ruling that keeps the spotlight on the state's troubled privatized Medicaid system and the people running it.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit from Iowa Doctor
U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, an Obama appointee, dismissed the defamation suit on Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed by Dr. Brian Morley, an Iowa healthcare manager who worked for the state's privatized Medicaid program.
Morley sued Oliver in 2025, claiming the Last Week Tonight host used misleading editing to attack him for ratings. The judge disagreed, ruling that Oliver's segment accurately represented what Morley said during a hearing about patient care.
The Comments That Sparked Outrage
The controversy centers on Morley's own words about Iowa Medicaid patients. During a hearing, Morley defended leaving patients with cerebral palsy unclean after bowel movements for days at a time.